good morning, america. state of emergency. flu cases spike to the highest levels seen in years. the mayor of boston says his city's under siege from the outbreak. we'll tell you how to protect yourself and your children, right now. football under fire. what really happened to one of the biggest names in the game? a team of doctors revealing that junior seau did have brain damage from playing. we hear the family's reaction for the first time, in an abc news/espn investigation. i just saw a baby lion. >> caught on tape. the frantic 911 calls, claiming a lion is on the loose, prowling the streets. why so many people were in a frenzy over this liddle guy. get ready to meet charles the monarch, only on "gma." happening this morning, the

envelope, please. we're rolling out the red carpet, starting the countdown, to oscar gold. it's a big day for hollywood's brightest stars. the academy award nominations announced live. seth macfarlane and emma stone here with us, right here on "gma." >> woo. ♪ dream on dream on ♪ ♪ dream on dream until your dreams ♪ ♪ come true and welcome to a blockbuster morning. huge crowd in times square this morning. cannot wait to see who gets nominated for the oscars. good morning, to robin. waving to everyone out there in times square. sam is in vegas, two days ahead of miss america. great to have amy and ginger zee back. this morning, we're learning a lot more down in washington about the president's cabinet nominations. some questions about the lack of women in very top jobs.

"the washington post" had the line of the day. it looks like "mad men" goes to washington, except peggy's leaving. >> and the photo in "the new york times" not helping matters yesterday. race against time. look at these whales, stranded. they are trapped in the ice, far from home. can the giants of the sea be set free before it's too late? it's kind of like that movie. >> so hope they're okay. and we're going to talk about a new invention that could track how you eat and help you lose weight. and there it is. it is called -- wait for it. the vibrating fork. we'll talk about that coming up. >> i'm going to compose myself. before we get to the deadly flu outbreak. people are flooding clinics and emergency rooms across the country. some facing 24-hour waits. boston's declared a public health emergency. and abc's linsey davis has the latest from massachusetts general hospital. good morning, linsey. >> reporter: good morning, george. inside this hospital, they're taking precautions we haven't

seen since the swine flu outbreak in 2009. doctors and nurses are being advised to wear protective masks. and the emergency room here is so overwhelmed, if you have to be admitted, it can take up to 24 hours. state of emergency. this morning, public officials are pleading with the public to protect themselves against one of the biggest flu epidemics in a decade. >> i can't say enough, please, everyone out there, get to the health centers this weekend. get your flu shot. >> reporter: boston mayor, tom menino, says his city's under siege. and it's getting worse by the day. 700 cases have been reported in boston since october. that's ten-times more than the city saw during the entire flu season last year. >> absolutely awful. i can't breathe. >> reporter: and the cdc says, 18 children have died across the

country. another indicator of flu activity around the country? google, which put together a trend map that shows flu-related searches are off the charts this year. right now, officials are urging vaccinations for everyone 6 months and older. but they warn even the flu shot may not be enough to ward off the virus. the city is also working with health care centers to provide free flu shots. amy? >> all right, linsey. thanks so much. and abc news chief health and medical editor, dr. richard besser, joins us now. i have to say, both myself and josh elliott were scared enough yesterday. we got our flu shots. our kids had their shots beforehand. so many parents are making sure their kids are vaccinated. still, you can get the flu. what do you do next? >> keep your kids home, so they're not spreading it. make sure they're getting enough fluids because children can get dehydrated with this. and think about tamiflu. especially the young children, those under 2, or any child with

a medical problem. even something like asthma. tamiflu can reduce complications. >> and how do you tell the difference between a cold and a flu? my daughter's cough right now. should i be worried? >> it can be hard, especially early, to tell the difference. but the warning signs, the danger signs, will be the same regardless of the illness. i'm a pediatrician and a parent. and children can't often tell you what's going on. first thing you want to make sure is they don't get dehydrated. they have to take enough fluids in. a child who is getting better and turns for the worse, that could be a sign they have a bacterial infection on top of what else was going on. and shortness of breath. any child who has trouble catching their breath. in a young child, it could mean they have a weak cry. they need to be seen immediately. that's a danger sign. >> dr. besser, thank you. to the white house, now. where president obama is firming up his team for the second term. this afternoon, he'll announce that white house chief of staff, jack lew, is his pick for

treasury secretary. that means for the first time in years, all of the premier cabinet positions will be covered by money. jon karl is covering the shuffle in the white house. good morning, jon. >> reporter: good morning, george. some critics aring le inlooking emerging second-term cabinet and wondering, where are the women? today, jack lew for treasury secretary. earlier this week, chuck hagel for defense. and john brennan for cia. and before that, john kerry for secretary of state. four top appointments since the election. four men. and then, this. "the new york times" published the white house photograph wednesday, showing the president speaking with top advisers in the oval office. ten people visible, all men. and late wednesday, labor secretary, hilda solis announced she's leaving. the third woman in the cabinet heading for the exits. all this prompted "washington post" columnist, ruth marcus, to quip, it's "mad men" goes to washington, except peggy's

leaving. >> it's time for me to move on. >> reporter: the white house says such criticism is way offbase. >> women serve in key policy roles as they do in the administration. >> reporter: as that all-male photo hit "the new york times," the white house released a new photo of the day, with a slightly different look. overall, about 43% of the president's appointees have been women. considerably more than president bush. and president obama chose women for arguably his two most important nominees, to the supreme court. soon, the president will have to replace jack lew as chief of staff. the top candidates are, you guessed it, men. and if jack lew is confirmed as treasury secretary, get ready to see the loopiest signature you've ever seen on a dollar bill. take a look. this is jack lew's actual signature. and that will go on every bill, of course, if he is confirmed as treasury secretary. don't really know what that literally actually says. >> it looks like a slinky, jon. i know, jack, he might clean it

up a little bit. you talked about the white house chief of staff pick. likely not today, but mcdonough and klain, both qualified candidates. >> absolutely. and both close to the president. especially denis mcdonough. he was in the situation room with the president the night of the bin laden raid. >> and the debate prep for the president this year. let's go to josh for the rest of the morning headlines. >> we're going to look at sweeping mortgage rules to protect homeowners and preventing another meltdown. new federal regulations being announced today, will ban interest-risk-only loans. and will help make sure that homeowners can replay the loans, debt payments have to be less than 43% of the borrower's annual income. and a judge is expected to rule tomorrow whether there is enough evidence against colorado theater shooting suspect james holmes, for him to stand trial.

holmes showed emotion for the first time in court wednesday. smiling and smirking when prosecutors showed pictures that he took of himself before july's rampage. his lawyers claim he is mentally ill. meanwhile, in washington today, vice president joe biden will meet with represents from nra and walmart, to discuss gun safety. biden's task force is due to recommend policy changes by month's end. this morning we learned the commuter ferry that crashed in manhattan, injured more than 80 people at the south street sea port wednesday, at new engines and a problematic new propeller system installed. no word if they're to blame for the ferry ramming into the dock. 11 of the injuries were described as serious. also in new york, a 300-foot crane collapsed on to a building under construction. seven people were injured here, including three workers trapped in that twisted metal.

thankfully, though, all are okay this morning. and a real strikeout of sorts. for the first time in decades, baseball writers did not elect anyone to the hall of fame this year. stars of the so-called steroid era, including barry bonds and roger clemens and sammy sosa, were all shut out. roger clemens, you see him on the mound, later tweeted, and i quote, i'm not overly surprised. end quote. and finally, an extremely close call for an extreme skateboarder. a curvy hill in a new york suburb is tempting. but at the bottom of the hill, yeah. there's another road. and that car, well, took that skateboard to the great beyond. thankfully, not the rider, however. stunned. okay. but come on. >> that's crazy. >> come on, people. if you know how that's going to end -- that's a movie we don't

need to see again. let's stop that, please. >> agreed. josh, thanks so much. now, to the shocking results of an abc news/espn exclusive investigation into the death of nfl great junior seau. doctors revealing their findings for the first time. and it could affect players from the big leagues to pop warner. abc's jim avila is here with the story. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. a giant in the game, junior seau is the biggest name in football, linked to brain damage for taking too many hits to the head. abc news and espn learned exclusively, before his suicide, seau suffered damage to his head. junior seau, an icon in the 1990s, whose passionate hits made him a dominant figure in the nfl. but after his sudden suicide in 2012, many questioned whether the effect of those hits on the

43-year-old's brain, could have played a role. >> the head-to-head contact, the collisions, they're out of control. >> reporter: now, seau's family says it has an answer to that question from the national institutes of health. abc news and espn have learned exclusively, seau's brain showed visible signs of cte, chronic, traumatic encephalopathy, the injury that shrinks and hardens brain tissue like this. and is at the center of today's football safety controversy. >> i think for us, we just wanted the truth. >> reporter: it was seau's family who decided to donate his brain to the nih, in an effort to find out why the man who confronted life on the field and off, shrunk from it in his final living years. ending it all, detached and alone. >> he loved the game. but i know that he didn't love the end of his life. >> reporter: do you think this condition, now it's been diagnosed clearly, what role did

it have in that? >> i think it played a huge effect. just him not being aware of the things he could possibly go through. >> reporter: seau was a respected family man, with four children, and an ex-wife with whom he was close until he shocked them all, by shooting himself in the chest, leaving only this short phone text of love the night before. >> just three words. i love you. >> that was the last we heard. >> reporter: for the seaus, football gave them everything. and they believe, now, has taken it all away. they understand its attraction, and all too well its routine danger. >> i think it's a gamble. just be extremely aware of what could potentially happen to your life. >> reporter: there's a big risk? >> there's a huge risk. >> it's not worth it for me to not have a dad. so, to me, it's not worth it. >> reporter: none of the seau children play football anymore. and their mother is glad of that. the nfl says it did not

intentionally hide the dangers of concussions from players. and is doing everything it can now totect them. >> so many parents watching this story closely. much more will appear on espn's "outside the lines" and "world news." george? >> guys, thanks. we're going to turn to that race against time to save a family of orcas trapped under arctic ice. this video shows the whales desperately trying to get the air they need to survive. rob nelson has more on the international fight to free these giants. >> reporter: in this amateur video, you can see the killer whales fighting to break through a thick blanket of arctic ice. as people from a nearby town watch helplessly. at least 12 of the giant animals, believed to be an entire family, swam into the waters north of quebec, during recent warm weather. but with temperatures now dropping, the animals are trapped below a hole no bigger than a truck, struggling for air. and the coast guard says that hole is rapidly closing around them.

>> i don't know how far it is to the next air hole. but i imagine, they don't, either. that's why they're coming up and looking with that spy-hopping behavior they're showing. >> reporter: on wednesday, the canadian government turned down a request to bring in ice breakers, saying they were simply too far away. but this morning, after this video was posted online, there is growing international chorus to free those whales. among those trying to help, is greg ferian. >> we've been through it before. >> reporter: last year's movie "big miracle," starring drew barrymore, was inspired by the wisconsin man, and others who used equipment to rescue three whales trapped in alaska in 1988. in the movie, the whales survived. but today, scientists say without help from the international community, this family of whales will not be as lucky. for "good morning america," rob nelson, abc news, new york. >> let's hope for a big miracle. >> that will be something we could all do. it is a big morning in

hollywood. as the countdown to oscar sunday begins with oscar nominations announced this morning, we will bring that announcement to you live later in the show. right now, abc's chris connelly is here with his take on who will be in the running. chris, it's the big question this hour. >> absolutely, right. time was when academy award nominations went to quirky, nowhere films. not this year. big audience pictures are back in the oscar mix. and the announcements this morning, figures to have movies that are by the people, of the people, and for the people, if you'll pardon my french. this morning, she's not the only one. anne hathaway lost her long hair. but should gain her first oscar nomination as supporting actress, her second oscar nod ever, for "les miserables." likely to get a loud chorus of nominations, including best picture. >> how can i face my fellow men? >> reporter: and best actor nod, for hugh jackman.

daniel day-lewis originally turned down the lead in "lincoln." in an hour or so, he'll surely be a front-runner, for nominations that include best actress, for sally field. tommy lee jones for supporting actor. and best picture. >> when was the last time? >> reporter: critically acclaimed "zero dark thirty," taking viewers into the hunt for bin laden, should have a nomination this morning, too. most-anticipated best actress citations for jessica chastain. and another best director nod for kathryn bigelow. ben affleck seems up for his first nod for "argo." a possibly front-runner, jennifer lawrence could represent, along with bradley cooper and robert de niro, from "silver linings playbook."

helen hunt. naomi watts. it looks like a big year for big movies. >> woo. >> we still don't know how many movies will be nominated for best picture. it could be as many as ten. in what's looking like a highly competitive, up for grabs year. >> so many have seen these movies. >> no tiny films vying for the top spot. there will be a lot of people talking about it. >> makes it exciting. the nominations are ahead. you can see the academy awards on february 24th. and now, it's time for the weather. ginger zee, in for sam this morning. >> this used to be a front yard until yesterday, when they got almost seven, up to eight inches of rain in southern louisiana. this is livingston, louisiana. i have pictures for you from ascension. this is all near baton rouge. they had major flooding.

roads were closed. and it's not over. not yet. two to three inches for jackson, new orleans, mobile. this is also in tornado watches until later this morning or early this afternoon. and not just the severe storms around the top of it. the rain stretches to where it gets cold. and icy spots in northern minnesota. your local forecast in 30 seconds.

good morning, i'm meteorologist lynette charles and we have temperatures on the cool side this morning. but with wind out of the northwest it's going to feel a little chillier. still above average with the thigh around 52 degrees and we will get some sun with the clouds for today and the showers move in tomorrow evening and temperatures will be nice and mild as we head into saturday and sunday. with the next chance for showers rolling in for the beginning and middle of next week. 47. and seattle, at least some areas around it, got snow yesterday. so, it flip-flopped. >> a lot of the country getting wet today. coming up, damaging testimony in the dramatic trial of the woman accused of killing her ex-boyfriend after he broke up with her. what another friend reveals in court about her bizarre behavior. also, ahead, the frantic calls to 911 about a baby lion on the loose. now, the beast behind the frenzy is here live, on "gma." and a big beauty experiment. a woman who chucked all her

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and a gang to you, i'm charlie crowson -- good morning to you, i'm charlie crowson. on the first day of the general assembly talks of raising the gas tax have already come up. governor o'malley has proposed increasing it by a penny to help pay for the transportation projects in maryland. even those who support it admit it's knot a pop -- not a

popular add. the measure failed during the 2010 general assembly. following hurricane sandy, today senator cardin is visiting that area to see how the recovery efforts are going. more than 100 people were displaced after that storm struck. time now for a check of the forecast and a great start to a great day lynette? >> yeahs that very true car lee and especially since we're starting to see some sunshine. we can see that in dundalk right now. and the temperatures are not as cold as they have been. so that's some good news you don't have to really really bundle up this morning. but we do have a windchill so it is making the chill in the air still out there. we can see the actual temperature in ellicott city coming in at 40 degrees and more of the same in bowie. edgewood at 40 degrees right now. as we head throughout the day we'll make it up to about 52 degrees. these temperatures this morning above average and they will stay that way right throughout the day. a check now of the traffic with lauren cook. an overturned tractor- trailer on 83 continues to shut down the northbound lanes at belfast road. the sold receiver getting by at this time.

-- shoulder is getting by at this time. southbound traffic moving right along no delays heading down to the beltway. 695, in bad shape right now in parkville. here's a live look at harford road. there's a crash right now on the outer loop at pearing parkway and going to take an extra 14 minutes to travel from 95 up to 83 and more congestion over on the west side here at liberty road on that outer loop down to 40. charlie over to you. all right we'll be back in about a half hour with more news, weather and traffic for you. let's go back to new york new. but on -- now. but on facebook this morning, know moply is talking -- monopoly is talking about a new piece for their game. let us know what you think should stay and what should go.

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911, where is your emergency? >> i'm driving down granby street, right before the zoo. and there was a lion that ran across the street. a baby lion. >> and there he is right there. you know the music, "the lion king." and you're looking at charles the monarch, live in our studio. come on, he does look like a lion. >> he does look like a lion. but he's so friendly. i was playing with him backstage. >> not many lions wagging their tail like that. >> a lot of panic, though. also coming up next on "gma," we have brand-new details on the mystery of what happened to the head of one of the world's most famous fashion brands. the best rescue teams, headed to search for the vanished plane, in what's being called the new bermuda triangle.

>> a real mystery there. and we asked, would you go a year without makeup? >> no. >> definitely no? you'll meet the woman who did it. she says it made her feel more beautiful than ever. >> she does look beautiful. >> you don't want to see this at 6:00 in the morning. no. also, a brand-new invention. it helps slow down your eating and could aid everyone in losing weight. >> what's it called? >> america, i give to you, the vibrating fork. >> thank you very much. we're going to switch gears now. go to shocking testimony in the jodi arias case, coming from a man who was with her just hours after she left the murder scene of her ex-boyfriend. and ryan owens is in phoenix with the dramatic details. >> reporter: good morning, george. jodi arias faces the death penalty. prosecutors say she should die not for just how heinous this crime was. but for how she acted right after committing it. >> the truth, so help you god?

>> yes. >> reporter: ryan burns is a blockbuster witness for the prosecution. he was a romantic interest of jodi arias. she visited him right after killing her former boyfriend, travis alexander. driving from the bloody crime scene in arizona, to his hsalt . >> what was her demeanor like? >> she was fine. she was laughing at the little things, just like any other person. she was -- i never once felt there was anything wrong about the day. >> reporter: burns says she acted normal. but looked different. her blonde hair was dark. she had cuts on her hands. she told him she broke a glass while bartending. less than 24 hours after arias repeatedly stabbed and shot one man, she was kissing another. >> at some point, we were talking. and we kissed. >> and did this kissing continue? or did it just stop at one kiss? >> eventually, we kissed, probably many times.

every time we started kissing, it got a little more escalated. >> reporter: later, he says the two snuggled and took a nap. >> the second we woke up, we were kissing. >> reporter: jodi arias admits she killed travis alexander. but claims it was self-defense. that he was a sexual deviant that abused her. when she got home from her time with burns, they exchanged messages via computer. >> anyway, back to travis, real quick. he's a great person. i wouldn't want to edify him as anything else. we all have our character flaws. we've seen each other at our absolute worst. and our best. we are just fundamentally different. >> reporter: after burns left the witness stand, we had one question for him. >> did i feel threatened by jodi after i found out she killed travis. i never felt that threat from her. it was very strange. it was weird, eerie, creepy.

but for where our relationship was, i never really felt threatened. >> reporter: on cross-examination, the defense did get burns to say that travis alexander had a reputation of being something of a flirt. up next on the stand, more of jodi arias' lies. she explained those cuts on her hands. she said she was bartending at a place called margaritaville. today, a police officer from the town where she's from, will say there's no bar or restaurant anywhere near there by that name. george? >> the prosecution, putting on a crushing case. ryan, thanks very much. george, now, to the latest on the disappearance of luxury fashion mogul, missoni. it's been almost a week since the small plane carrying him and five others vanished off the coast of south america. his family raising new questions about what really happened, saying they don't believe that plane crashed. abc's matt gutman has the story. >> reporter: this morning, the very first and last images of a care-free victor missoni and

smiling companions, moments before boarding this tiny plane. this new video, obtained by italian tv, it would vanish off the venezuelan coast. would leave no debris, only questions about the fate of the fashion mogul, friends and the pilots. this morning, an italian team is to arrive in venezuela, missoni's family is convinced they are still alive. now, his son is hinting to an italian paper saying he might have been kidnapped. saying, quote, a plane cannot vanish this way on a short route, without leaving any trace. i'm convinced that the at least plausible reason is they crashed into the water. he's basing that on a mysterious text message apparently sent from a cell phone from a person on that plane. to his son, more than 48 hours after it disappeared.

it read, call now. we are reachable. >> it's hard to believe the airplane isn't in the water. by the same token, unless you find wreckage, there's no proof it hasn't gone elsewhere. >> reporter: missoni's family is hoping on to hope. even reaching out to missoni's potential enemies to find any explanation other than the one they fear most. for "good morning america," matt gutman, abc news, new york. >> so many questions there still. time, now, for the weather and ginger zee, who is in for sam this morning. ginger? >> hi, guys. i told you seattle gets very little snow, about half a foot a year, just under it. yesterday, just north of that city, look at the video. they got about a half-inch. parts of king county, you're seeing. it was coming down, very beautiful, very winter-like. and winter is the word on the west coast, from san francisco down to los angeles. some of the snow levels are going to drop so low, that the mountains, josh, outside of l.a., going to have a little touch of snow. in san francisco, too. very warm in the east, though. look at d.c. today.

51. >> this weather report is brought to you by aig. and look at orlando, still very warm. that's where you want to go for the warm-up spot. and coming up, check out this friendly beast. he's at the center of a 911 panic. that is charles the monarch, right here in times square. >> he wouldn't hurt a flea. plus, the woman who swore off makeup for a year. why she says it made her feel more beautiful than ever. aig? we said we were going to turn it around, and we did. woman: we're helping joplin, missouri, come back from a devastating tornado. man: and now we're helping the east coast

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back, now, at 7:40, with charles the monarch. the unusual looking dog. he has a haircut that set off a frenzy of 911 calls. people claiming a lion was on the prowl. now, charles has gone viral online. we're going to meet him live, right here on "gma." but first, a look at his story. >> 911, where's your emergency? >> i'm driving down granby street, right before the zoo. and there was a lion that ran across the street. a baby lion. >> reporter: a lion on the

loose? frantic 911 calls flooding norfolk emergency operation center in virginia on tuesday, with rare and frightening sightings. >> i just saw an animal that looked like a small lion. >> reporter: one call after another. >> and had the manes and everything. >> i just saw a baby lion. >> i thought to myself, this is going to be an interesting day. obviously, we were on alert. and we wanted to be sure that there was no wild animal or animal on the streets. >> reporter: norfolk police put in a call to the local zoo, to make sure one of its lions didn't make a daring escape. >> the zoo said, all our lions are accounted for. they are where they should be. >> reporter: but it turns out, it wasn't the king of the jungle on the loose. it was this particularly coifed 3-year-old labradoodle, charles the monarch. who happens to be a very popular pup. >> he's a big hit. >> reporter: now, this king of canines have gone viral.

this morning, charles has more than 11,000 likes on his facebook page. his gleeful grin splashed all across the internet, leaving him to ask one of his hundreds new twitter followers, can i give you my pawtograph. we need a ding for that one. there he is. charles the monarch, live. in the studio with his owners, daniel painter and natalie. what a good boy he is. >> i think he knows he's famous. >> daniel, you actually cut him to look like a lion. >> yes. my daughter was going to school at old dominion university. and their mascot is a lion. when he grew as a puppy, his hair was really full. without telling anybody, i took him to the dog care place and told them to shave like like a lion. he turned famous, like overnight. now, it's her dog again. >> he's actually really famous.

you get requests to go to the tailgates at old dominion university. >> we tailgate for the football team. and everybody's tailgates, if we miss somebody's tailgate, they get ahold of us. >> what kind of dog is he at home? >> we tell everybody he's a laba-lion. actually, he's a labradoodle. >> is he talented? does he do tricks? >> he does what he's told to do. he's casual. he's laidback. he does whatever he needs to. >> he doesn't look very ferocious, at all. out there, save the 911 calls. he's safe. thank you both for being here. give five. give a shake. meanwhile, we're coming up, with "pop news" today. bradley cooper, revealing that he's looking for love. and then, we have a "play of the day" you do not want to miss. middle school dances used to get so awkward. but not this one. freeze it.

oh, wait. it's frozen. we'll explain. ♪ ♪ dominate that pta bake sale. the everyday collection. by target. we asked total strangers to watch it for us. thank you so much. i appreciate it. i'll be right back. they didn't take a dime.

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it's 80 calories that sizzle! is "i say hello." a song that had special meaning for the two you see right here. take a look at young jeff, in the ball cap, and alessa. nothing says intense ardor than that picture. >> he's looking at her. >> he's looking at his buddies over her shoulder like, i don't want to be here, i promise. a seventh grader and a sixth grader. and take a look at what happened a few years later.

jeff and alexa, married couple. they found each other. and posted this, the side-by-side photos. they're good enough to join us this morning. jeff and alexa, thanks for joining us in wisconsin. let's go back to the sweet and awkward moment. how much do you guys remember from that dance we just saw? oh, i love skype. if you guys can hear us, one more time. how much of the middle school dance -- we saw that incredible picture. how much do you guys actually remember of that night? >> really? that much? >> well, i can tell you -- >> almost -- >> we did talk about it. it turns out, neither -- it was one dance. and they came from opposite sides of the gym. they danced together. they ran back to their buddies afterwards.

they didn't find each other again until their junior year of high school. but we are thankful that they did. and thanks to you, modern technology, for making that so easy to get to. and thank you, charles. oscar nominations. rob lowe. go nowhere. [ male announcer ] introducing doggie dentures.

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people taking maois, linezolid or thioridazine or with uncontrolled glaucoma should not take cymbalta. taking it with nsaid pain relievers, aspirin or blood thinners may increase bleeding risk. severe liver problems, some fatal, were reported. signs include abdominal pain and yellowing skin or eyes. tell your doctor about all your medicines, including those for migraine and while on cymbalta, call right away if you have high fever, confusion and stiff muscles or serious allergic skin reactions like blisters, peeling rash, hives, or mouth sores to address possible life-threatening conditions. talk about your alcohol use, liver disease and before you reduce or stop cymbalta. dizziness or fainting may occur upon standing. ask your doctor about cymbalta. imagine you with less pain. cymbalta can help. go to cymbalta.com to learn about a free trial offer. she would only get a splash of coffee in her cup and then fill the rest up with cream and it -- mommy, what's going on? what are you doing? so when we did the blonde roast, she finally went from a splash of coffee

to only a splash of cream. and i thought that was so cool, i said "well she's enjoying this." ♪ ♪

and good morning to you, i'm charlie crowson. here's a few of the stop story -- top stories on this thursday morning. we have learned the names of the workers who were struck and killed. worker lucita te'o and victor -- luis tadeo and victor jackson. charges are still pending. well, it's time for mead high school in anne arundel county today. they're holding a memorial service for the ten students who lost their lives within the last two years. time now for a check of the forecast on this thursday morning. a mild start to the day

lynette? >> yes, it is. temperatures are well above average charlie but also look at what we're getting right now. the clouds starting to break up a bit out there and we will get the sun/cloud mix in here. it is going to be a good day to be out and about. it feels a little bit chillier out there this morning. this is what we can expect into football day. right? maybe heading to denver the temperature at 19 degrees. mostly cloudy, and we do have a chance for some snow. but back here at home for today, that temperature coming in at 52 degrees, we will be above average. let's get a check now of the abc2 timesaver traffic with lauren cook. good morning. good morning lynette. well 83 north has just reopened following a tractor-trailer crash at belfast road. no delays southbound as you come down to the 695 but 695 in term shape this morning as week in andtive -- we check in andtive a like look at harford road road. it's going to take you 19 extra minutes to travel from 95 up to 83. watch out for debris on the inner loop at key bridge and

more delays on the west side here at the national pike. megan and charlie, over to you. park school in baltimore city is closed today due to a water main break. again, park school in baltimore city. no school. let's go to new york now for more of "good morning america."

♪ and a red army out there in times square this morning. blockbuster morning ahead. shoutout to robin at home. sam is in las vegas this morning. great to have amy robach here. d.j. kissing spinning our soundtrack this morning. "night of your life" by jennifer hudson. a good reason for that. >> that is, indeed. countdown to oscar sunday is actually starting right now. lara, take it away. >> here we go. is everybody ready? count with me. five, four, three, two, one. ginger, flip that switch. there it is, everybody. thank you, ginger. the countdown, officially on, to

oscar sunday. we have chris connelly and jess cagle with our oscar predictions. and we have seth macfarlane after he reveals the nominations. >> amazing. amazing. also amazing, take a look. apparently he has renewed his deal with the devil. take a look at who is with us. no, no. rob lowe. look at rob lowe. >> that would have been a real deal with the devil. >> wow. you have to get into some of those deal points, rob. he is here. a sneak peek of a provocative new television film. he plays the prosecutor in the casey anthony trial movie. cue that video. we're going to introduce you to the woman you just saw. there she is. she stopped wearing makeup for an entire year. she stopped beauty regimes altogether. why she says chucking it all

made her feel more beautiful than ever. >> really looking forward to that story. and then, we have the brand-new invention that could help you cut calories and lose weight. we have this futuristic fork, that could change the way we eat. >> you almost made it. >> i almost made it. first, to josh and the news. >> we're going to begin with new concerns this morning about the flu. it's spreading rapidly across the country. boston's mayor has declared a public health emergency. ten-times more cases this year than all of last year. people are said to be waiting up to 24 hours to be admitted to hospitals. pennsylvania, south carolina, among the other states hardest hit here. hospitals, meanwhile, are banning visitors. doctors and nurses, wearing masks. one hospital, even, as you can see here, set up a heated tent outside its facility. and the best advice, again, get a flu shot. and get one right away. meanwhile, president obama will nominate his chief of

staff, jack lew, as treasury secretary this afternoon. that means for the first time in years, all of the top cabinet positions will be held by men. but some critics are calling on lew to improve his handwriting. a rather unorthodox signature. compared by george this morning to a slinky. well done. this is a signature that will be on our dollar bills. the operator of a tour bus that crashed in oregon last week, blames black ice, not driver fatigue that led to the accident. 9 passengers were killed, 30 more injured, when the bus went off a snowy road and down a ravine. officials ordered the company to stop operations, saying the driver had been on the road for 92 hours that week alone, vastly exceeding federal limits. and new information in the case of that chicago lottery winner who died of cyanide poisoning before cashing his

winning check. the paper reports that urooj khan's in-laws had run into money troubles. court documents show that his widow has been battling with his siblings for control of his estate, which includes about $500,000 in prize money. there's new hope in the battle of a deadly form of cancer in women. the pap test used to find cervical cancer, may be used to fight cancer of the uterus and ovaries. researchers are using pap tests to zero in on cancer cells. in one study, they were able to zero in 46% of the time. finally, a frighteni eninen encounter at a ski resort in vermont. that skier is being chased by that moose. the moose decided he'd had

enough and turned uphill, has only moos can. the skiers cannot. that skier, though, quickly became a runner. he took his skis off to get away. narrowly avoiding what would have been disaster. >> wow. >> you run into moos in the wild, it's nothing. the skier-turned-runner, his life flashed before his eyes. >> i don't blame him. amazing he was able to walk away. >> thank you. let's do some "pop news," shall we? good morning to you. we're buzzing about bradley cooper on this oscar nomination morning. an amazing role in "silver linings playbook." the ladies love bradley. here's one more reason to. he is apparently a hopeless romantic. "people's" sexiest man alive from two years ago, said in an interview, his wish is to find love and settle down in a traditional family home. the star of "silver linings"

said, he wants to follow in the steps of his parents and grandparents, meet the woman of his dreams and live happily ever after. good luck to him. also in "pop news" today. everyone loves a game show on "gma." especially the guy across the desk from me. i know have a question for you, young joshua. thank you for letting me borrow this. >> the skinny mic. >> the skinny mic will come back to you in a moment. which "gma" anchor was a question on "jeopardy" last night? josh? >> i saw it, actually. i was watching at home. >> you are correct, amy. >> what former espn anchor? >> in 2011, josh elliott of espn became news reader for this abc show that starts many people's day. >> what is "good morning america"? >> you got it.

>> i was watching at home. i didn't know it was coming. and it happens. and the only thing i thought was, please, somebody get it right. >> i don't know if i could have done it. >> it was fun. >> i now pass the baton. >> thank you. i have to tell you, i dvr'd "jeopardy." >> that's a big deal. happy to celebrate you. >> so fun. and then, we move on from josh to talk, again, about oscar nomination morning here on "gma." one of the breakout stars of this season is certainly eddie redmayne. his terrific performance in "les mis" won the hearts of critics and amy. now, we're hearing e.l. james. oh, yeah. you know i'm going to talk about it. the handsome brit, reportedly her first choice to play christian grey, in the "fifty shades" movie. george is going for it. >> yeah. >> i did not know this. josh, i promise, i did not know this two days ago, when i sat

next to eddie at a lunch, celebrating my news director, tom hooper. >> hook how shameless you are this morning. >> it looks like i'm photo-bombing. but it's really a pose. what i also found out -- no, i was. i found out that eddie was once a classmate of a young prince william. take a look at this picture. >> look at that. >> there they both are. eddie's down low. and prince william's up top. and they're still friends today. or mates, as eddie says. and he did say it to me. and, everybody, that's the it's raining men edition of "pop news." >> that was fantastic. weather, from ginger. >> they said they were killing the last pod. >> get into it tomorrow. >> big news tomorrow. >> let's get to ginger first.

>> no problem. it is delta sigma theta's 100th anniversary. and i'm fortunate to be surrounded by a big crowd out here. and this is cindy. what are you celebrating? >> our 100th anniversary. delta sigma theta is 100 years old. we're here to celebrate. >> they're a great crowd. they're going to d.c. by the weekend, where it's going to be 70. really nice along the east coast, as we end this workweek and start the weekend. we're looking at a picture from folly beach. surfchex.com. look how warm it gets. spring-like all the way up the east coast. 60 for new york city, by the

>> you're going to have to come out and say hello. >> absolutely. what a great crowd here at "gma." here's a look at what's coming up on our "morning menu." it's a big beauty experiment. why one woman went without makeup or any other beauty regimen for a year. and says, she felt prettier than ever before. we'll hear her inspiring story. and then, the futuristic fork that can help everyone cut calories and lose weight. rob lowe is also with us live this morning. wee have a sneak peek at his controversial new role. all that and, oh, yeah. it's oscar nomination morning,

with seth macfarlane live on "gma." live in times square. stay with us. [ male announcer ] this is bob, a regular guy with an irregular heartbeat. the usual, bob? not today. [ male announcer ] bob has afib: atrial fibrillation not caused by a heart valve problem, a condition that puts him at greater risk for a stroke. [ gps ] turn left. i don't think so. [ male announcer ] for years, bob took warfarin, and made a monthly trip to the clinic to get his blood tested. but not anymore. bob's doctor recommended a different option: once-a-day xarelto®. xarelto® is the first and only once-a-day prescription blood thinner for patients with afib not caused by a heart valve problem, that doesn't require routine blood monitoring. like warfarin, xarelto® is proven effective to reduce the risk of an afib-related stroke. there is limited data on how these drugs compare when warfarin is well managed. no routine blood monitoring means bob can spend his extra time however he likes.

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complete with america's softest tissue, you're also giving a warm gesture of care. kleenex®. america's softest tissue. [ cheers and applause ] look at that crowd out there in times square. and we're back, now, with a big beauty experiment. one woman, ditching all her makeup for an entire year. >> not d.j. kiss. >> d.j. kiss is in the house. she's helping us jam along. she has makeup on, like the rest of us do, fair to say.

and i'm glad i do, for one. she wanted to see how people would react to having no makeup on. she didn't do any beauty regime whatsoever. she wanted to know how she would feel about it. how her husband would feel about it. she said there were a lot of surprising reactions. she wrote a book about that experiment, called "the beauty experiment." katie couric has her story. >> reporter: the numbers are staggering. the average american spends $12,000 to $15,000 on beauty and salon treatment every year. and 160 hours grooming. that adds up to an entire week of primping in just one year. so, what would happen if we women decided to cap the concealer and bag the lipstick and go without makeup for an entire year. phoebe baker hyde, author of "the beauty experiment" wanted to find out. >> what a man's going to do. maybe put on a little gel and head out the door.

maybe i can approximate that. so, the makeup would go. the hair products would go. >> reporter: while phoebe said she felt more beautiful than ever after a year of no makeup, experts say society may be less open to the idea. >> we do tend to see attractive people, conventionally attractive people. we see them as happier. we see them as warmer. we see them as funnier. in fact, a few studies have shown they really get lower prison sentences or don't get convicted at all. >> reporter: check out what happened when we sent out a camera crew, with maureen. at first, all dolled up. and needed help on the streets of new york. people not only stopped to help, they offered to take her where she needed to go. then, check out what happened when maureen dressed down, with glasses and no makeup. >> excuse me? >> reporter: hardly anyone stopped to help. and when they did, they did so with reservations. >> do you have a cell phone i could use? >> i was definitely surprised.

normally, i don't usually wear makeup when i go out. and i don't really look at the reactions that people are giving me. and when i did this experiment, i really saw how differently i was treated because of how i looked. >> reporter: for so many of us, giving up our beauty regimen is easier said than done. >> i let my family and close friends see me without makeup. but very few others. >> i order my mascara from japan. it's the only mascara i'll wear. >> reporter: what is it like to go without makeup? i decided to take the plunge and take it all off. first comes off my foundation. and of course, my lips. ooh, wow. and last, but not least, the eyes. i'm a total mascara junky. and you thought i didn't wear any makeup. ooh. >> and katie reveals how she looks without makeup friday on the show. tune in friday, for more, with phoebe baker hyde. and find out what her husband

thinks of her beauty experiment. >> he better like it. >> yeah. >> yes, dear. all right, now, we move on to the futuristic fork that we've been talking about all morning, that could change the way everyone eats. it monitors how long you take to eat a meal. and can caution you to slow down. abc's abbie boudreau is joining us live from vegas with the cutting-edge cutlery. good morning, abbie. >> reporter: good morning, lara. this is the fork that's creating all that buzz. here's how it works, okay? if you take a bite, and then take another bite too quickly, it's supposed to vibrate. let's try it. it works. on the hunt to find some of the coolest, new gadgets at this year's consumer electronics show, from "gangnam style" vibrating exercise machines, to futuristic head massagers. but what's that one product that really stands out?

meet happy fork. >> the goal is to help people become more conscious of their eating habits. >> it's being called the future of forks. a smart fork that tracks how many bites you take. and vibrates if you eat too fast. >> i think it's a very interesting idea. >> i think it's wonderful. >> reporter: so, you're saying that this fork can help you lose weight? >> yes. so, the idea is that we all eat too fast. and so, eating with the fork, you eat too fast, it gives you a gentle vibration. and a reminder to simply slow it down. >> reporter: hapifork's inventors say, it can help you cut calories by 11%, help combat diabetes and trains you over time to eat slower. nutritionists recommend taking a full 20 minutes for each meal. >> people tend to eat quickly. when you eat too quickly, there's a risk of overeating. >> reporter: so, does it really work? right here, the on the convention center floor, we're going to put it to a test.

a quick trip to the food court and bon appetit. if i take a bite in less than ten seconds, this should vibrate at me, telling me i'm eating way too fast. so, let's see if it works. it vibrated. guess it works. so, i guess the goal here is to slow down. all right. but the thing with this fork is, if you want to use it for every meal, i guess you have to take it with you wherever you go. hapifork says, just shove it in your purse and move on. but if you're interested in this fork, you have to wait until springtime because that's when it comes out. lara? >> abbie, thank you so much. the hapifork. >> very hapifork. we're with our friend, rob lowe. we had so much fun when he was part of team robin, back in the fall on "gma." sorry you couldn't do it today,

and weigh in on the vibrating fork. >> listen, if you talk about vibrating, i'm the man to talk to. you know what i'm saying? i think you do. >> i think that's enough for morning television. let's go on. new lifetime movie, "prosecuting casey anthony." you're starring in it, playing the prosecutor. i want to show a little bit of you in action here. >> chloroform. >> chloroform? >> knockout gas? >> in the carpet? >> and not found in aisle five of your local drugstore. >> i've asked the sheriff's department to see if casey bought it online. >> sedation as a cheap babysitter. >> all right. any way you look at it, it's still first-degree. it doesn't matter if she gave her too much by accident. >> my money, she deliberately killed caylee, put her body in the trunk and drove her around until she could find a place to

dump it, until she could find a place to party. and she did. >> there's rob lowe there. and if that one sentence, you probably said what a lot of people around the country probably believed watching that trial. yet, she's acquitted. >> i think there was a poll done that 97% of floridians thought she was guilty. meanwhile, the only people that mattered were the people of the jury. they saw it differently. and i was just fascinated with, how could the country get it so differently than the jury did? and how does that happen? and what does it do to the man who fought for justice, for little caylee? >> and after going through the experience of filming the movie, talking to jeff ashton, what's your theory on the question you raised? >> there's a couple of them. first of all, it's the first big trial in the era of twitter and social media. and public opinion has been around before electricity. but now, with social media, it

coalesces so quickly, it's easy to misread than ever before. so, i think there's a little bit of overreach, a little bit of overconfidence. i think when you try to get a jury that doesn't have an opinion, and yet, they have all of the information, what does that tell you? either they're not paying attention. or they heard all of the information, and still have an opinion. what do you do if you're a prosecutor? >> you keep pressing the case. what did -- what was it like working with jeff ashton? i guess. and how does he feel, now as he's got a little more distance? >> he's now -- he's elected to stay an attorney. >> down in florida. but he's replaced his boss, who incidentally is the person who charged casey with first-degree murder, which may have been -- >> the overreach. >> the overreach, i think. but when you see the movie, there's so many twists and turns in the trial, that either you didn't know, or you forgot about, that are just

jaw-dropping, that this actually went on. >> i read just the other day, that she says, casey anthony says, that she's got a little bit of fear that this movie is going to bring back death threats and other threats against her. do you think that should be a concern? >> there's nothing in the movie that isn't true. so, i'm a big believer in personal responsibility. so, it's her life, she lived it. she's going to have to deal with whatever comes of it. >> if you were her, would you try to come out and say something? or would you try to live a quiet life? >> if i was her, i would crawl into a hole somewhere and pull the dirty. >> i guess that clears up. you're going to be playing liberace's plastic -- what is that like? >> when you finally, i can't reveal it here. i'm going to come next time. when you see what i look like behind the candelabra, with michael douglas as liberace, and matt damon as his rent boy

lover, it may be the end of my career. >> or skyrocketing. >> or skyrocketing to a whole, new level. >> that must have been so much fun to work with both of them. >> and steven soderberg directed it, one of my all-time favorite directors. we laughed every day. we all looked completely like we were some kind of freak show. >> a real period piece. >> it all takes part in 1979. there was a lot of spandex and baby oil. that's all i'm going to say. spand spandex, baby oil, in that group. >> how is that for a tease? spandex and baby oil. "prosecuting casey anthony" premieres january 19th on lifetime. and coming up, the oscar nominations, just a few minutes away with seth macfarlane.

and a good morning to you, i'm charlie crowson. here's a few of the top stories today. action is happening following a story we first brought you here at abc2. school buses carrying your children running red lights and speeding. today councilwoman mary pat clark is unveiling her bill which requires any citations given to school vehicles be submitted to the city each quarter. six people are hurt after an accident involving an mta bus and two cars. it happened this morning on richie highway just south of anne arundel community college. we're told right now the injuries are minor so for more on this let's go over the lauren cook to see how this could be affecting the commute down around anne arundel county. it's causing a backup on richie highway along the southbound lanes you will want to stick with 97 that's going to be the best at alternate route. more problems on the beltway. a lot of congestion from the outer loop from liberty road

down the route 40. here's the beltway in parkville. even worse an the outer loop. speeds clocking in at just 19 miles per hour. that will remain slow up to towson and inner loop pretty packed as well down to 95. here's 95 downtown from mobs what -- no problems whatsoever. now here's lynette charles with a look at the forecast. good morning lauren. good morning everyone. check out what's going on right now in annapolis. yes that sun is trying to breakthrough. it's going to be a nice day as high pressure does its thing. temperature-wise this morning, we are coming in at 40 degrees. this is well above average but we still have a chill in the air because we have the winds a light breeze out of the north and west. now this is what's going to be happening as we go throughout the day. temperatures will increase staying above average. that 52 degrees for a high should really be at 41 degrees now for this time of the year. look what we have. i can do you one better even into the next seven days. saturday and sunday, in the 60s. back to you charlie. all right that looks great. thanks a lot. be safe out there on the roads today and as a reminder baltimore city schools park's

school closed due to a water main break. we'll go back to new york.

[ cheers and applause ] thank you, d.j. kiss. thanks to this fantastic crowd here. and a big morning. d.j. kiss with the soundtrack to our oscar nominations. all coming up just ahead, just seconds away. >> the one thing i'm going to get to mention is a little bit of snow in the northern plains and the rockies. i'll tell you about that really quickly. that's all i've got. we have a lot of oscars to get

>> this weather report brought to you by kleenex tissues. george, back to you.

[ cheers and applause ] and welcome back to "gma's" countdown to oscar sunday. we're just moments away from the

nominations. that is happening live in beverly hills, right there. before it comes, just a couple minutes away. let's get quick predictions from chris connelly, and jess cagle. chris, how about this? >> we couldn't see as many as ten films nominated. four will dominate the conversation. "argo," "les mis," and "zero dark thirty." >> it was a great year for movies. it will be a good year for the oscars. there's a bunch of $100 million hits. last year, a silent film literally won best picture. >> with a great dog in it. terrific movie. >> these are movies with big topics and subjects. government and democracy. >> big topics. and the big names. but "django unchained." this is a movie starting a lot of controversy and buzz heading in.

where do you see it falling? >> i would see it for best picture. quentin tarantino, a chance for best director. >> that best director is really something. >> i think he has a good chance, as well. not sure it will get best picture. i was shocked by it thinking, this could go either way. it got some guild recognition, golden globe recognition. and it's a big hit. >> another thing to watch for, is leonardo dicaprio conceivably getting nominated for supporting actor. >> supporting actor might all be people that won oscars before. >> big roles in these movies. supporting actress, anne hathaway is a favorite. >> that category is loaded. but she goes up against people like sally field. >> and is daniel day-lewis a shoe-in for best actor? >> you have to think he's a leader at this stage of the game. and everybody else will be happy to be there. >> that's the closest one we can predict will get nominated and will win. >> for a role he turned down at first. >> wow. we're just seconds away, right

now. go to goodmorningamerica.com on yahoo! to fill out your oscar ballot. we'll be right back in just a minute, with the ♪

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get through this. it's a great honor to be here to announce the nominees. i'm not sure why we don't wait until noon to do this, since the only people that are up right now are either flying or having surgery. but i want to congratulate today's nominees. and also to congratulate those who weren't nominated. you can stop doing interviews where you pretend you had such a great time making the movie. and here to help me out, since there's nothing creepier than a guy standing by himself at 5:00 in the morning in hollywood, is the lovely and talented, miss emma stone. [ applause ] >> thank you, seth. >> emma stone is the star of the new film "gangster squad." not sure if you're the star. it's more of an ensemble piece to me. is the star of "gangster squad" and the talent of her generation.

some say she's better than meryl streep. who says that? >> i don't know. nobody. a lot of people. let's just read the nominees. >> okay. the nominees will be read in no particular order. >> for a best performance of an actress in supporting role, the nominees are -- >> phillip seymourman in "the master." robert de niro in "silver linings playbook." he's won before. alan arkin in "argo." he has won before. and tommy lee jones, in lincoln." he's won before. >> breath of fresh air in that category. >> for best original song, the nominees are. "before my time," from "chasing ice." music and lyrics from j. rolf. "pi's lullaby."

from "life of pi." "suddenly," from "les miserables." "everybody needs a best friend" from "ted." and "skyfall" from "skyfall." music and lyrics by adele adkins and paul epworth. >> i get to go to the oscars now. >> yes. the mtv awards once gave michael jackson a lifetime achievement award just so he would show up. i'm not saying that's happening today. >> the 2012 nominees for best performance by an actress in a supporting role are -- sally field in "lincoln." anne hathaway in "les miserables." jackie weaver in "silver linings playbook." helen hunt in "the sessions."

and amy adams in "the master." congratulations, you five ladies no longer have to pretend to be attracted to harvey weinstein. [ laughter ] >> for best animated feature film, the nominees are -- "frankenweenie," tim burton. "the pirates: band of misfits." "wreck-it ralph." "pair ranorman." and "brave." >> for best foreign language film, the nominees are -- from austria "amour." >> from chile, "no." >> from canada, "war witch." >> from denmark, "a royal affair." >> and from norway, "kon-tiki." i read "amour" was co-produced

from austria and germany. the last time austria and germany got together, it was hitler. but this was much better. >> recommend it. yeah. for adapted screenplay, we have lucy alibar and benh zeitlin. chris terrio for "argo." david l. russell. and david magee for "life of pi." >> these are adapted screenplays. keep in mind, that means the writers copy stuff from microsoft word and pasted it into final draft. >> for best original screenplay, the nominees are -- john gatins for "flight." mark boal were "zero dark thirty." quentin tarantino for "django

unchained." "amo "amour." and wes anderson for "moonlight kingdom." >> for best achievement in directing. david o. russell for "silver linings playbook. ang lee for "life of pi." steven spielberg for "lincoln." michael haneke" for "amour." and benh zeitlin. these are people best at sitting in a chair, watching others make a movie. >> the nominees for best performance by an actor in a role are. daniel day-lewis for "lincoln." dendzle washington in "fight." hugh jackman in "les miserables." bradley cooper in "silver linings playbook." and joaquin phoenix in "the master." a little fun fact for you. denzel's character was as drunk as half of the people up at this

hour. >> guilty. [ laughter ] for best performance by an actress in a leading role, the nominees are -- naomi watts in "the impossible."ssica chastain thirty." jennifer lawrence in "silver linings playbook." emmanuelle riva in "amour." wallis in "the beast of the southern wild." >> emmanuel riva is the oldest best actress nominee. and we're pleased to announce that the best picture nominees for 2012 are -- "beasts of the southern wild." >> silver linings playbook. >> "zero dark thirty." mark boal, kathryn bigelow.

"lincoln," steven spielberg and kathleen kennedy, producers. >> "les miserables." >> "life of pi." >> "amour," nominees to be determined. >> "django unchained." >> and "argo." >> "argo" has been nominated. somebody tell cranston he can unclench his teeth now. bryan, i love you. join us at the oscars, sunday, february 24th, to find out who will take home the oscars. >> congratulations to all of the nominees. >> big surprises there. >> abc's chris connelly and jess

cagle, for their reaction. there was surprises. ben affleck, not nominated for director. >> "lincoln" leads with all nominations. and "life of pi" second. nothing for kathlyn bigelow, for "zero dark thirty." she gets passed over. and ben affleck for "argo." >> and tom hooper. >> got best picture nominations. it was one of the nine. >> it did sneak in on best director, "michael haneke." and beast of the southern wild" got four nominations. >> and excited to see her there. >> joaquin phoenix at best actor is a surprise, over john hawkes, i would say, from "the sessions." >> it's not the highlight of the year. he can't wait to park his car in valet. let's put it that way. >> and we saw in supporting actor and actress categories.

these are loaded categories this year. >> really exciting, yeah. >> you heard seth and emma, noticed, that everybody in best supporting actor has won an oscar before. >> and jackie weaver in supporting actor was a surprise, from "silver linings playbook." i expected maggie smith. >> nicole kidman was a possibility for "paperboy." she's been nominated before. good showing for "silver linings playbook," to wind up with eight nominations. >> i'm glad to see david o. russell who did not get a actor's guilt nomination. i'm glad to see it. >> big moves very much in play. the director thing suggests it might not be such clear sailing for "argo" and "zero dark thirty." but "lincoln," "les mis" a lot of the action. >> and "life of pi," really deserving. i'm glad ang lee got nominated. >> that's without actor

nominations of any kind. >> the tiger should have gotten something, don't you think? >> all of this bodes well for "lincoln," actually. i thought "zero dark thirty" and "argo" were the stiffest competition. the fact that other directors didn't get it. >> such an exciting morning. and joining us right now, seth macfarlane, and "gangster squad" star, emma stone. good morning to you both. i know it's early. >> good morning. >> it's very early. how are you? >> we are so excited. i want to ask you, seth, first, what do you make of this field of nominees? and is your brain already turning with material now that you know the names? >> yeah. my brain is always turning with material. i never sleep. this is great. this is -- you know, for -- it's nice to have an oscars where you don't really know who the heck is going to win, you know? it's actually a contest, which i think is going to be exciting. >> might we see a "lincoln"

costume in your future? >> yes. i will be the first guy ever to do a lincoln gag. >> emma, i want to ask you about two women that you worked with, jessica chastain, nominated for "zero dark thirty," and sally field, who you worked with on "the amazing spider-man" also nominated this morning. it's got to feel good for you. >> it's pretty great. they're both really wonderful women. that's always exciting. >> any surprises for you two? >> yeah. my car got towed. >> you've been freaking out about that all morning. >> you were in what seemed like a legal zone. >> yeah. it was red-ish. >> i want to celebrate you, seth. i know you tease. but a big morning for you. not only are you hosting but you're also a nominee. congratulatio congratulations. >> yeah. >> that was a surprise. i didn't think there was any chance that that would happen. >> i was trying to help you with

that one. >> whenever you star in something, whenever you star in something, it's going to say academy award nominee seth macfarlane. >> that's obnoxious. >> obnoxious but fantastic. you're filling big shoes. and it is an honor to host. how far into preparations are you? >> you know, we're pretty under way. we're pretty under way. i can't give you too many specifics. but we've done a lot of work so far. there's still a fair amount of work to come. but we're into it. we're into it deep. >> can you give us any secret? a little smidgen of what you might have for us? what is the seth macfarlane academy awards look like? >> you're going to present some oscars? >> three words. buscemi, buscemi, buscemi. >> all right. >> want to thank both of you guys. it's a really big morning. i know it's really early out

there in los angeles. seth, we wish you the best of look, hosting. and, emma, congratulations on "gangster squad" and all of your success. you're delightful. >> thank you very much. thank you. >> and, everybody, see you all soon. meantime, everybody, go to goodmorningamerica.com for more details on the wows. those who got in. those who didn't. it's a big morning. >> sure is. the oscars live here on abc, sunday, february 24th. and we'll be right back.

[ cheers and applause ] d.j. kiss. ryan gosling going to be here tomorrow. heard a lot about the oscar nominations. jess cagle and chris connelly. this is a bunched field. >> you don't really know who is going to come out in front on best picture. a lot of people really love "les mis." i feel like it's the movie they've been waiting to see ten years in the theaters. and i have a feeling that "lincoln" playing to academy voters. a little slow and a little dark. there will be a lot of back and

forth. >> i think "life of pi" moves in as best picture contender. >> despite all my efforts, no "magic mike." >> i called for that one, too. >> the song remains the same. >> she voted 100 times. thank you, guys, very much. we love doing the oscars with all of you. thanks to all of you for watching on this big oscar morning. we're counting down to the oscars. 45 days away right now. have a great day. and a good morning to you, i'm charlie crowson. here's a few of the top stories today. a group of parents is delivering a petition to the anne arundel county school officials hoping to change the

start times for schools. they think the beginning of high school classes before 7:30 is too early. it forces some students to board the buses as soon as 5:50 in the morning. they want the push it back now to a start time of 8:00 a.m. or later. restaurant week gets underway in baltimore county officially tomorrow. but today there's a cove investigate happening at patrick's of cockeysville. chefs from a number of restaurants will prepare special menu items for sampling for you. lynette you like food. what are you doing later this afternoon? >> i'm going to have to visit -- all right let's talk about what's beginning on right now charlie because we see lots of sunshine in mount airy coming through blue sky. yes we have a few clouds that's going to be the story throughout the day. but high pressure really going to do its thing. 42 degrees right now in mount airy. make sure you have the coat as you step out the door this morning. and we have sunshine continuing right until 3:00 this afternoon. with a high coming in at 52. and now you see that high at 52? not going to be the case in denver as we head into your

saturday. the game start 19 degrees and very cold with snow. let's get a check now of the traffic with lauren cook. six people have been injured in an mta bus crash in anne arundel county. do expect heavy delays near arnold road on richie highway. 695 this is what it looks like in pikesville and everything up to speed no problems from green spring avenue down to route 40. and it is still a little congested though in parkville along the outer loop from harford road up to providence road. charlie every to you. "the doctors" is coming up next, remember join us beginning at 4:30 tomorrow on "good morning maryland." it will be all things ravens to get ready for the divisional playoff game in denver. we're going back to new york, have a great day. [ male announcer ] once you've got verizon fios internet, you get it -- the difference 100% fiber optics makes. but don't take our word for it. ask a real fios customer. ask me why fiber optics matters.

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